Clover
by filmfanatic-29
Summary: AU. Ron Swanson is a former black ops agent who is reluctantly pulled out of retirement to complete one last mission: the delivery of a so called 'package'. However, his task soon becomes a tangled mess of government secrets and painful pasts, and he discovers that the end of the world may be coming sooner than he anticipated.


**Author's Note: I know I shouldn't post this, considering I'm still working on "A Story of Boy Meets Girl" but this story struck me one night and it refused to leave my brain. It's inspired by the manga "Clover" by CLAAMP. The beginning follows the manga but I'll be changing things up a bit as I go. Let me know if you like it! It will certainly be a different direction for me. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation or Clover; I'm just a simple fan. **

"Forget it," Ron said gruffly. "I'm not the government's lap dog any more. Find someone else to do your dirty work." Being back in the Counsel brought back more memories than he cared to admit and his stomach clenched uncomfortably.

"Ah Ron Swanson, your wit is delightful," Chris Traeger laughed but his eyes held no amusement. "All I need you to do is deliver a package. A man of your caliber should have no issues."

"No."

"You seem to forget your record with the United States government, but we do not." His voice was pleasant, as it always was, but his demeanor was tense. "Ron, when I have a favor to ask of you….you'd better not refuse."

"I retired," he sighed in exasperation.

"While that is true, your country is in need of your service. Surely you can perform a simple delivery? After all we did for you, I think this is a simple request," the other man replied lightly. "Don't force my hand. You were literally one of our top agents and we pulled a lot of strings to keep you in action. How many times did we intervene when you were court-martialed? How many times did we save you? It would be so easy to open up investigations, start asking the right questions, and you know how quickly whispers spread."

"Threats need to scare the person in order to be effective," Ron snapped.

"It's not a threat. It's a promise Ronald." The two men coolly evaluated each other and the silence in the room was deafening. For a moment Ron considered simply walking out; he hated dealing with fools like Traeger. But if he did, this would never be over. Traeger would hound him for the rest of his days and unfortunately the other man had the resources to find him.

"This is the last time," Ron snarled. "Never again, do you hear me? After this, pretend that I'm dead."

"Of course it's the last time," Chris said jovially and he patted Ron on the shoulder. It was seemingly a friendly gesture but it made Ron want to punch the bastard.

"You will need this," Chris said and he handed him a card with a picture of a four leaf clover on it. Ron frowned and examined it closely.

"What are you getting me involved in?"

"Silly Ronald, that would be telling."

XxXx

A sleek blue car pulled up after his meeting with Traeger and Ron slipped inside without a word. It had been a while since he had cooperated with the government, but the system never changed. The less said about it all the better. He was brought to a small white office in the middle of Indianapolis. It was seemingly normal, plainly designed, and it was the type of building that people passed without looking twice. Ron entered it suspiciously. The lobby was large and airy, the pale floor tiles reflected the high power lights, and the white walls were bare. A receptionist sat behind a delicate glass desk and Ron mutely slid the card Traeger had given him across the desk. The woman's eyes flittered between the card and his face, and a flash of understanding crossed her features. She pressed an intercom button and said "Mister Swanson is here".

A gaunt elderly man entered from a room behind the desk and slowly approached him. "Welcome sir," he bowed. "Chris Traeger told us to expect you." The other man turned away without saying another word and led him through a set of large doors that led to a long corridor. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes until the man stopped in front of a room marked with the number four.

"You will find what you're looking for in here," he said and the older man left without another word.

The package was here? Ron cautiously entered. The room seemed as if it was from another world. While the rest of the building was blindingly bright, this room was dark and hazy. Shadows slithered and moved across the walls and Ron could barely see. There was no furniture although Ron could see the walls lined with dozens of different types of plants. The air was heavy and clung to his skin while the scent of juniper assaulted his nose.

"Are you here to take me?" A teenager slipped from somewhere in the shadows. She was a wisp of a girl, so thin that her skin seemed stretched, and dark hair hung in front of her face. She was wearing a plain black dress and in her hand she clutched a stuffed animal.

"I suppose so," Ron said slowly. This was unexpected. Traeger sure as hell hadn't mentioned that the package was a girl. Why on earth were they sending a black ops agent to babysit? Perhaps she was the daughter of some politician? Possibly but unlikely. There was no shortage of eager government lap dogs; there was no reason to pull him out of retirement if she was just related to someone.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"April," she replied. April hugged the toy to her chest and quietly studied him. Ron saw that it was a three legged dog and he raised his eyebrows in question. She noticed the look and frowned.

"His name's Champion," the girl muttered. He waited for her to explain who she was and where he was meant to bring her but she ignored him.

"Do you know where I'm supposed to take you?" He finally questioned and she nodded.

"The Library."

Ron stared at the girl in shock, cold trickling down his spine, and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears. He grabbed her arm, so tight that his fingers were sure to leave bruises, but she didn't pull away. She didn't even whimper. April looked at him with those big eyes and merely watched him.

"Bullshit," he sneered. "Who exactly are you?" She glared at him and stayed silent. Ron pulled back his hand and paced back and forth, confusion and anger twisting inside him until he didn't know whether he wanted to hit something or just walk away. Why the hell had Traeger given him a mission to bring someone to the Library, of all the godforsaken places? For that matter, why was he sending a mere child? Ron looked over April again. She looked perfectly normal, just a girl like thousands of others. Something wasn't right.

"We need to visit someone," he said gruffly. It had been years since he had last seen Leslie. The blonde had been his partner for a decade, but as soon as he had retired he had severed all his ties to the agency. He had never expected to see her again.

As much as he hated it, Ron needed her help.

XxXx

Pawnee was exactly as he remembered it. Leslie had brought him here once, early in their partnership. She had claimed that it was the greatest city in the world and had insisted on showing him around. It had been one of the worst experiences of his life. It was like something out of a corny made for TV movie. People waved from rockers on their porches, each neatly trimmed yard looked the same, and it reeked of 'small town America'.

It hadn't taken long to find out where Leslie lived. He called in one or two favors from people who owed him, threatened some (Jerry from the records office was laughably easy to intimidate), and ultimately they had been able to tell him where she had moved. He hadn't been too surprised. Leslie had always talked about her hometown and returning to it one day. At least it hadn't taken them that long to get here from Indianapolis. Ron glanced at his watch; they didn't have much time. Sooner or later Traeger would realize that they were taking a side trip and he would not be pleased. He needed to get answers before anyone realized that they weren't heading towards the Library.

"I can't believe you know someone who lives in suburbia," April remarked. "I assumed you lived in a den of huge bears, hidden somewhere in the mountains, where you lived off of liquor and your own testosterone." For some reason the thought amused him. It actually wasn't too far off the mark.

"Your mustache is twitching," she noted with satisfaction. "I must be right. So why aren't we at your man fortress? Are we meeting an old girlfriend? One last time fling before we head to _that _place?" Ron didn't respond. Instead he rapped on the door three times and waited for a response.

"Stay silent," he instructed. April glared at him in irritation but gave him the slightest of nods. They waited for a couple of minutes before the door swung open. A pretty blonde woman stood in the doorway, her gaze utterly fixated on Ron as if she was seeing a ghost.

"Ronald," Leslie breathed, disbelief and astonishment in her eyes, and she looked frozen by his arrival. He moved forward and his actions seemed to wake her from her stupor. Before he had a chance to stop her, she threw her arms around him and wrapped him in a hug. Ron grunted and tried to pull away but Leslie only tightened her grip. She had always been the 'touchy feely' type.

Eventually she let him go, although she still seemed shell shocked. "I have to talk to you," he said. Suddenly he felt a sharp, searing pain on his left cheek. It took him half a moment to realize that Leslie had slapped him. Her bright blue eyes bored into his and he wondered if she was going to slap him again.

"How dare you come here like everything's normal?" She yelled. "You left without saying anything! Nothing! After everything, you acted like…You can be such an ass!" Leslie raged for a couple minutes, shouting about his idiocy, but he ignored her. After working with her for ten years, he was used to her dramatics. Ron grabbed her elbow and rudely shoved her inside then looked back at April and gestured for her to follow.

"What's going on?" Leslie questioned angrily. "Why are you-" She stopped when she finally noticed the girl standing in the corner. Her mouth opened and closed, clearly lost for words, and she stared at Ron in shock.

"Leslie, this is April," he said calmly."April, this is my former partner Leslie Knope." The teenager gave an unimpressed sniff.

"What are you doing with a child? Ron, you'd better answer me or so help-"

"Damn it woman, we don't have a lot of time," he growled. "So once again, we_ need_ to talk." Leslie seemed anxious to continue her outburst but she took a deep breath, exhaled loudly, and shook her head. It was hard to tell if it was in anger or disgust.

"Fine," Leslie relented and she led them into a cramped living room. Clothes and papers were scattered all over the place but the clutter somehow seemed cozy. Leslie sat on a tan loveseat and Ron and April sat next to each other on a wide tan sofa.

"It must be important for you to come to me," the blonde remarked. She was calmer now and seemed more curious than angry.

"Traeger has one last task for me," Ron explained. "He gave me limited Intel and I hate being kept in the dark. I enjoy government incompetence as much as the next man but not when I'm being played for a fool. I need information."

"Ron, I'm not in the game anymore either," Leslie said seriously. "I'm not sure what I can do for you."

"So this whole trip was pointless?" April piped in. "Great. This was a swell idea Ronald." Leslie frowned at the girl but Ron ignored the comment. He was starting to get used to April's sardonic attitude.

"I know you're still in contact," he persisted. "Nothing could make you turn your back on the agency; I know you can get me what I'm looking for." She bit her lip and gave a noncommittal shrug. Suddenly there was a loud creak and a dark haired man opened the front door. He was carrying a couple of Styrofoam containers and did a double take when he saw Ron and April in the living room.

"Hey Leslie, I didn't realize that we had company! I picked up some dinner for J.J's diner but I would have gotten more food if I had known!" The man smiled at them both and placed a soft kiss on Leslie's forehead. The blonde smiled broadly and her entire face lit up.

"This is my fiancé Ben," Leslie introduced. "Ben, this is Ron Swanson and April, his…niece. I used to work with Ron and he just stopped in to say hello."

"Oh cool, it's great to meet you both," Ben said cheerfully.

This…was an unexpected complication.

Ron needed keep his visit a secret. Granted, if Leslie was going to marry him, most likely this "Ben" was a good man, but this unknown person posed a severe threat. His hand absentmindedly drifted to his waist where he kept his firearm but he stopped when April tapped his shoulder. She silently gestured to Leslie, whose actions mirrored his own. The blonde was poised to act, her shoulders slightly hunched, and her mouth was twisted into a grimace.

Point taken. Ron shrugged and nodded in acknowledgement. He wouldn't do anything unless he had to; he supposed he owed Leslie at least that much. Ron stood up and extended his hand in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you Benjamin," he said. Ben gladly shook it and tried to do the same with April but the girl refused the gesture. Instead she got up as well, stood closely to Ron, and openly scowled at the man.

"What lovely friends you have," the teenager drawled, her voice dripping in sarcasm. Ben was obviously unnerved, his gaze shifting between April and Leslie in confusion, and he quickly backed off. April seemed highly amused by his reaction and Ron would have laughed if Ben didn't look so pathetic.

"Play nice," he drawled in hushed tone and April snickered.

"Honey, Ron and I have a bit of catching up to do," Leslie told Ben. "We're going to head into the den for a couple of minutes. Would you mind staying here with April? Why don't you tell her a bit about Pawnee?" Ben's horrified look made it clear that that was the last thing he wanted to do but he swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Stay here," Ron commanded April, who rolled her eyes at the order. Ron and Leslie exited the den and she brought him to a small room that looked like a mixture of a study and storage room. There was an antique wooden desk and chair, boxes arranged in high perilous piles, and two large bookcases bursting with tattered books and magazine.

"Now tell me what's going on," Leslie huffed.

"Chris wants me to bring her to the Library," he said bluntly.

"That…girl?"

"Yes, that girl. Traeger instructed me to deliver her to the Library but I have a bad feeling," Ron admitted reluctantly. "You know what he's like Leslie. It's never simple." 

"That's it?" Leslie said incredulously and her disbelief made him bristle. "You have a bad feeling? _That's_ why you need my help?"

"Every day I wake up with the bitter taste of what I did," he growled. "I want nothing to do with this so called mission but if I have to, I want to know exactly what I'm doing." The blonde watched him for a moment; Ron expected her to give some long winded speech and it made him cringe. Thankfully she didn't and instead the pair shared a comfortable silence.

"If this is true, you need to talk to her," Leslie murmured cautiously. "I can help you, but I need something to go on. A name, a whisper, anything. I know that Chris hasn't told you anything in detail, but April must have some idea."

"You saw what she's like. She barely speaks and only then if it's a rude comment. She's just a damn kid Leslie, a bratty teenager….None of this makes sense." Ron knew that if he had to, he could make her talk. He could rip out all of her secrets until they dripped from her like blood, but the thought of doing that to April made him nauseous. That part of his life was done.

"Obviously not to the government," Leslie insisted. "There must be a reason they want her so badly."

"I'm a four leaf," a voice said from behind the closed door. Ron looked curiously at Leslie and opened the door. April was sitting on the floor outside of the room and she raised her eyes to meet his.

"I would have stayed in the living room but Leslie's fiancé is really irritating," the teenager said blandly.

"I don't blame you," he replied and he saw a flicker of a grin on April's face. It was strange to see a smile after so many scowls.

"So what's a four leaf?" Ron asked. He turned to Leslie to see if she had any idea what April was talking about but the sight of Leslie's face made his insides turn cold. Her face was pale, completely drained of color, and her blue eyes seemed electrified.

"That's not possible," Leslie whispered. "There are only five three leafs in the world. How could you possibly exist?"

"I'm special," the girl responded sarcastically. When she saw their unconvinced looks, April pushed back her hair and revealed a small tattoo of a black four leaf clover behind her ear. He instinctively bent down to get a better look. At first glance the design seemed simple, but upon closer inspection he saw that the clover was composed of interlocking loops and swirls.

"You're real," Leslie gasped.

"What's the bottom line?" Ron asked impatiently. The sooner he knew what he was dealing with, the sooner he could figure out what he had to do.

"They think I'm gonna destroy the world," April replied and one look at her bored expression told him that she was telling the truth.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'm not sure how often I'll update this story, but I'm having a fun time writing it. Thanks for reading! Please review!**


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